Three weeks ago today, I was suffering with the flu in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I had to look for an urgent care facility on my smartphone and head there urgently from my hotel. The freezing rain and frigid temps of Denver did nothing to help my illness and as the hours crept on as we slowly drove to Colorado Springs, the sicker I felt. Sadly, I spent my entire first day in Colorado Springs at urgent care, the Walmart pharmacy, and my hotel bed. I even spent some hours on the floor of the hotel bathroom. With a fluctuating fever, the cold tiles of the bathroom were the only place that felt comfortable to me. Needless to say, this was NOT the trip to Colorado I was expecting.
But a girl gotta eat, right?! Isn’t there an old adage: Starve a cold, feed a fever? And fed that fever I did!
Over Easy: A Daytime Eatery
28A South Tejon Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
I discovered this place through FindMeGlutenFree. I ate a delicious gluten-free English muffin, an omelette with spinach and cheese, bacon, and hash browns. Staff will let you know all gluten-free menu items. I sat at the bar eating breakfast with a lovely woman who was also gluten-free. We chatted about gluten-free food, GMOs, travel, family and more. She was so kind and gave me tickets to a concert that night. Unfortunately, I was too sick to go and forgot her name but it was one of those unique experiences with a stranger that I love experiencing when I travel.
EmergiCare
402 W. Bijou St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80905
Sadly, this is where I spent my Friday morning getting chest x-rays to rule out pneumonia and being tested for the flu which was positive. The staff was friendly and thorough which made getting sick from home at least tolerable. Unfortunately, I learned that there is no pharmacy in downtown Colorado Springs and you needed a taxi or a car to get there. I felt so crappy that I waited to fill my prescriptions until the afternoon. You can read my Getting Sick on Vacation post for more details and how to prepare for becoming sick away from home.
The Rabbit Hole
101 North Tejon Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
This place was cool and totally random. My boyfriend found it on Yelp so I wasn’t sure if there would be anything I could eat on the menu. Once we found the place (it looks like a subway station and we walked right by) we descended the stairs to a funky underground restaurant. The menu is clearly marked with a symbol to indicated gluten-free and the waitress was very helpful to point out what was safe and how things were prepared. We ate VERY well at this restaurant, but I was fading fast at this point and just wanted a bed.
After dinner, we took a second trip to the Walmart pharmacy and then I tucked into bed for the night around 8pm.
The next morning I woke up to blue skies and a raging fever. I headed back to bed (or the cool bathroom floor) for a few more hours before we had to check out of the Antlers Hilton. This is the oldest hotel in Colorado Springs and was quiet during our winter stay. The staff was very friendly and helped me use the fax machine so I could change my flight home. I was supposed to fly to Wisconsin to see my sister, but under the advisement of the urgent care doctor I changed my flight to fly home early instead. So sad!
Coquette’s Bistro and Bakery
321 North Tejon Street
Colorado Springs, CO
Before we left Colorado Springs, I knew I MUST go to Coquette’s Bakery. This place is 100% gluten-free and got rave reviews on FindMeGlutenFree, Yelp and more. It really does deserve it’s own post.
When I walked in this place, I felt like I was walking into gluten-free heaven. The front bakery cases were full to the glass with tempting gluten-free baked goods. Behind the bakery cases, was a lovely restaurant. It looked like a diner with a trendy bar in the back. I was so excited to be there that I forgot about my flu for the meal.
When I saw the Monte Cristo on the menu, I knew that was what I must get. As a lifelong celiac, I never had a sandwich like this in my life. A Monte Cristo is a ham and Swiss sandwich in a battered deep-fried hoagie, side of strawberry preserves & powdered sugar. WHAT?!?! Let’s read that again. YES! A battered deep-fried hoagie! This was probably the most delicious sandwich I had in my entire life. This sandwich made my whole sick trip to Colorado worth it. Oh, and truffled french fries. Remember, this place is 100% gluten-free so the fries were totally safe!
DE-LISH-OUS!!
My boyfriend had the Rise and Dine savory crepe which was eggs, ham, onion, tomato and red pepper hollandaise with truffled french fries. I was so into my sandwich, I didn’t even try his breakfast. He said it was one of the best breakfasts he had and did not even care it was gluten-free.
And with every breakfast comes dessert…
I think if I had been feeling less fluish, I would have purchased more at Coquette’s Bakery before I left. I did manage to buy a slice of blueberry coffee cake and a loaf of bread. There were so many delicious baked goods in the display cases and a fully-stocked freezer with baguettes, bagels, challah bread, buns, muffins, and more.
The baked goods change everyday and honestly, I don’t think you will be disappointed with anything. This place is a must for any gluten-free trip to Colorado Springs.
Garden of the Gods
1805 North 30th Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80904
My boyfriend and I checked out of the hotel and decided to go for a drive. I was reclining in the front seat, snoozing and soaking up the sunshine through the car windows. The temps hit 55º F which was a welcome warm-up on my feverish body. We decided to go to Garden of the Gods since we could easily drive there and it didn’t require me to do any strenuous hiking or walking.
I loved Garden of the Gods. It reminded me so much of my first solo trip to Sedona, Arizona. The red rocks against the bright blue sky lifted my spirits. This place is really beautiful and only a short drive from downtown Colorado Springs. I highly recommend a trip here! I wish I had been feeling better because I would have loved to hike and explore this park a little bit more.
Pikes Peak
5089 Pikes Peak Highway
Cascade, CO 80809
This 19-mile drive to 14,115 feet is worth it, especially if it is a clear day like it was when we were in Colorado Springs. You either pay by person or carload and the prices to enter this park vary by season. It takes about 45 minutes to get to the top of the mountain. The higher we went, the lower the temperatures dropped. The trees also stop growing too as you approach the top of the mountain because of the lack of oxygen with the increasing altitude.
Oh the altitude… It killed us! When I got out of the car at the top of Pikes Peak I felt awful. At 14,115 feet above sea level this is some HIGH altitude and the highest I ever experienced in my life. I felt drunk, nauseous, gassy, and dizzy. It was like my body was losing function by the second. Add the flu and I felt like I was going to pass out any second. I looked over at my boyfriend and he was looking just as green as me. We walked slowly to the gift shop to sit for a minute and to use the restrooms. The Pikes Peak staff must have a warped sense of humor because they had these crazy hologram photos in the bathrooms. Nothing is more disorienting than using the bathroom and thinking a lion is jumping out from the painting on the wall. I had to tell my man immediately what I saw to confirm I wasn’t crazy and he saw them in the men’s room too. It is one trippy experience!
We took a few obligatory pictures at the top of the mountain but both were really affected by the altitude and decided to leave. The mountain top closes at 4pm in the winter, so we had to head down anyway. Note to self, make sure to give your body time to acclimate to altitude when traveling in the future!
Federal Bar and Grill
2544 Federal Blvd.
Denver, CO
We slowly made our way down from Pikes Peak, leaving the high altitude behind, and headed back to Denver to catch our flight the next morning. By the time we got to Denver, I was exhausted but hungry. It was a big football day and the first place we went was packed. We wound up eating dinner at Federal Bar and Grill. I found this place using FindMeGlutenFree again where I read the owners had celiac disease. The hearty burger on a gluten-free bun was exactly what I needed.
Being sick away from home sucks, I am not going to sugar coat it. I was achy, tired, coughing, and just feeling miserable. Colorado Springs is very beautiful once the sun starts shining and the blue skies come out. I wish I could have enjoyed more of the trip but I just could not physically handle it. Major shout out to the boyfriend who took very good care of me on this trip. Buying my meds, rubbing my head, hugging me as I cried through my fever. He is the best! I did my best to be a trooper, but I paid for it. I went straight home after we landed on Sunday night at JFK airport and did not leave my house for four full days. This was the first time I got this sick during travel but I managed to deal with it the best that I could. I would definitely go back to Colorado to do more exploring, hiking, biking, and enjoying the beautiful state. Oh, and to eat another Monte Cristo at Coquette’s Bistro! But next time, I will leave the flu at home!